Haiti council unveils $55 million election budget

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Haitian electoral authorities have publicly released a $55 million budget to organize a redo of the presidential election.

Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council is trying to organize two rounds of voting for president, some members of parliament and numerous municipal seats.

Council director Uder Antoine said Wednesday that Haiti still needs some $48 million from the government. He says the finance ministry is collaborating and he doesn't foresee problems cobbling together the money.

The U.S. has withdrawn funding assistance for the redo balloting. U.S. taxpayers last year contributed $33 million for a three-round Haitian electoral cycle that was supposed to be resolved by now.

But a presidential runoff was repeatedly scrapped amid suspicions of fraud. Disputed balloting was annulled, making a redo necessary.